The Crash That Changed Everything
by Dalek Warrior
Summary: On the way back to the orphanage Father Scully has a heart attack and crashes the car...into the ocean. Read to find out what happens!


**The Crash That Changed Everything**

**A/N: This fic is inspired by both the episode "Requiem" of NCIS and by the fanfiction story "December Boys" by wannabehero1212. Thanks for reading!**

It all happened when the four boys were being driven back to St. Gregory's by Father Scully. They were all chatting amicably, Maps being the exception. He was sitting in the front with Father Scully, smiling at the sound of laughter in the back end of the car, where Spit, Spark, and Misty were sitting. It warmed Maps's heart that Misty gave up adoption to keep their brotherhood together; maybe once Maps left the orphanage he would adopt them all. If it would make them all happy then there was nothing that would get in his way. He turned his attention back to the passing scenery. They had only just started the drive back and were turning on small outlook overlooking the village they had spent the Christmas month in. Worry began to dawn on him when he noticed the car was turning off course and with a wary glance looked over to Father Scully. He had his hand over his heart and the wheel was turning against his weakened grip.

"Maps…" He whispered, looking at him with all the sorrow in the world, before everything happened simultaneously.

The car flew over the cliff and Maps felt a pull at his navel, almost enjoyable, before the sickening feeling of being jolted against the car's frame brought him out of this thought. Before the ocean water filled the car through the many open windows Maps managed to yell out to the others…

"Get out. Now!"

The water filled his lungs during the last syllable but before he worried about himself he needed to get the others out. He was relieved to see Spark and Spit unhurt dragging a dazed but uninjured Misty from the wreckage. Maps didn't see any obvious injuries and motioned them to surface. They gave him a hurried look but didn't object and within moments they surfaced and treaded water over to a fishing boat ten feet out.

"You've got to help us. They're still down there!" Spit yelled out to the water-goer.

"I know son, Fearless already dived in." The fisherman answered worriedly, for once not being stern with the orphans.

Down in the ocean the car had reached the sand bar. As it touched down the front end jerked to the side and with an excruciating pain Maps felt his left leg become encased in the wreckage. All of a sudden he saw Fearless swimming down toward him. Together they peeled the windshield off the car in seconds. But these few seconds had Maps dizzy and his lungs burning from lack of oxygen. With his last strength he pushed Father Scully over to Fearless and losing his last supply of air he yelled out…

"GO!"

With one last horrifying thought that he couldn't escape Maps succumbed to the blackness, flying toward a glowing white figure.

Up on the beach there was mayhem. The fisherman had taken the boys and Father Scully back to shore, while Fearless dived once again…trying to rescue Maps. Tess had left to drive Father Scully to the nearest hospital; despite everything that had happened he was still alive and in need of urgent medical care. It had been three minutes since they had last seen Fearless break the surface and they were all on a constant vigil. After everything that Maps had done for the boys they couldn't imagine life without him. And the realization that he sacrificed his own safety to make sure they would get out gave proof to the fact that he was years older than the rest.

Suddenly they saw Fearless pop out of the water. Draped over his shoulder was a limp figure, the leg of his slacks shredded and bloody despite having been underwater until a minute previous. Excruciatingly slowly; though it must have only been a minute, he made his way onto shore. In a swift but gentle movement he laid Maps out on the sand. Maps's hair was plastered to his shockingly pale face, with the exception of a few small gashes along the right side of his face. His left leg was torn up badly and there were areas where the bone was clearly visible. But worst of all was the stillness of his chest.

Fearless immediately realized that Maps wasn't breathing and began compressions on his chest. The children were greatly alarmed and the fisherman had to hold them back while the biker tried to beat life back into the young boy. The fourth time that Fearless placed his mouth on Maps, breathing sweet air into his lungs, Maps arched his back up coughing. Fearless helped him onto his side where he coughed severely until Fearless tipped water into his mouth, provided by the fisherman. The salt water was slowly washed away by the clean water and he quickly finished the bottle. Losing the little energy he had he fell back onto the sand, breathing heavily. He was shivering badly and obviously in shock.

"Boys, I'm taking Maps inside. I need you to run up about two miles and alert the doctor that he's needed here. The fisherman will tell you where you need to go." Fearless instructed the dumbfounded boys. They gave Maps a quick glance before taking off in the direction the fisherman pointed. Now that he knew a doctor was on the way Fearless turned his attention back to Maps.

"Maps, I'm gonna get you inside. Brace yourself for some pain, your leg's pretty bad."

Maps opened his eyes slightly and nodded. Fearless bent down and placed his arms under his legs and shoulders. With a quick prayer he lifted Maps's light form from the sand. It broke his heart to hear the anguished cry coming from the young child but he needed to get him dry and soon. Quickly they made their way up to the biker's house and Maps was relieved to be put down on a soft bed. He dimly heard drawers being opened and shut but in his dazed mind he couldn't be bothered by the sound.

"Maps, I'm going to get you out of these clothes, kay?" Fearless asked hesitantly.

"Why…" Maps croaked his mouth only slightly moving.

"I need to get you dry, you're already going into shock."

"Okay." He answered reluctantly. Maps knew he needed to get dry, he just hated being so vulnerable.

Fearless spent the next few minutes using scissors to cut off Maps shirt and pants. When it got to his boxers he hesitated slightly before deciding that being polite wouldn't help either of them in this matter. Within a minute Maps was naked and shivering. Fearless was scared to try to ease the waistband of dry underwear over his injured leg but it needed to be done.

"Maps, you're gonna feel some pain here. Just hold on. Kay?"

"All right."

Before either of them could regret it he picked up Maps's leg and slipped the waistband over it. He handled the leg as gently as he could and was surprised that he didn't hear any cries of pain coming from the bed. But when he looked to Maps's face he noticed it was scrunched up in agony and his fists were clenched in the bed sheets. While Maps rode out the pain, Fearless pulled the boxers over his waist and pulled a shirt over his shoulders…wanting to get it all over with so Maps could breathe again. Once Maps was fully clothed in a green t-shirt and red-black striped boxers, Fearless pulled a chair over to the bed and grabbed Maps's hand. Within minutes the pain began to leave his face and he fell asleep, Fearless took this chance to drape a blanket over his chest and watch the sleeping boy. He wished he would be able to provide a home for him, but knew in his heart that the brave young man would never leave his family.

The doctor arrived ten minutes later followed by three, still wet, children. While the doctor tended to Maps, Fearless got all the boys dry and gave them some toast. Despite the tension of their situation the boys all got a laugh out of the expression of harassment on Misty's face when he couldn't get his glasses clean. Fearless could easily see himself and Tess raising all four boys as a family. If it weren't for their low income they would be able to… He was broken from his reverie by the doctor exciting the bedroom.

"Young Maps will be fine, I have bandaged his leg and will be back each day at this time to attend to him until further notice. He is sleeping now, you may see him." The doctor told them all, as he passed Fearless on his way to the door he gave him a knowing smile and whispered…

"Good luck son."

With those words the doctor left and Fearless walked slowly to the bedroom. He found the three boys sitting on the edges of the bed, where the center was filled with a sleeping Maps. His face was peaceful and a slight smile tugged at his lips. His face was even beginning to regain its normal, healthy complexion. If it weren't for the sterile tapes covering the gashes on his face and the gauze wrapped around his calf Fearless would have mistaken him for a normal teenager; a teenager that hadn't nearly lost his life trying to save the ones he loved. It broke his heart to think that they might all be split up in the future, like he and Tess had nearly done. In that one moment, staring at the love between the four boys, Fearless made the decision that he would do whatever it takes to raise all of them. He would get another job, sell this house for a smaller one, even move them all if he had to. But he would never ever let anything happen to any of his December boys ever again.


End file.
